Brain Food

Anti-Aging and Cognitive Boosters

Credit: AOL Article

Blueberries are the ultimate memory food. Research at the USDA showed that daily consumption of blueberries dramatically slows the impairment of memory that usually accompanies old age.

Compounds in blueberries called polyphenols actually help "turn on" the signals that let neurons (brain cells) communicate with each other more effectively.

Compounds in strawberries help protect your brain and preserve your memory. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, animals that consumed an extract of strawberries, spinach and blueberries every day had significant improvements in their short-term memory. Not only did they learn faster than the other animals, but their motor skills improved as well.

Spinach is loaded with an array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that research has shown to slow brain aging and preserve memory. It's one of the few food sources of the powerful, brain-protecting antioxidant alpha lipoic acid.

Tumeric's reputation as a "super-spice" is due largely to its anti-cancer activity and powerful anti-inflammatory properties -- but it also helps to protect your brain.

This spice first attracted the interest of scientists investigating Alzheimer's disease because rates of the disease are so low in India, where curry is a staple. A compound in tumeric called curcumin helps to prevent mental decline in laboratory animals.

Your grandmother was right -- fish is indeed brain food! Over 60 percent of your brain by weight is composed of fat, and most of it is the same fat found in fish. The healthy omega-3 fats in fish (and fish oil supplements) are incorporated into cell membranes, making it easier for information from neurotransmitters to get in and out of the cell.

Low levels of omega-3 fats have been linked to memory problems as well as depression, ADHD and various other neurological disorders.

Best sources: Wild salmon, sardines and cod -- or take fish oil supplements on a daily basis (500mg-3,000mg).

Egg yolks are one of nature's richest sources of choline, a B vitamin that is one of the most important nutrients for brain health. Choline is a building block of the valuable neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is vital for memory, learning and thinking.

This vitamin is particularly important during pregnancy because it's essential for the brain development in the fetus. The choline in egg yolks helps maintain the flexibility of brain cell membranes, which is critical for the quick transmission of thoughts and impulses.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a supplement that just may be a fountain of youth for your brain. It seems to delay the onset of age-related cognitive decline and improve overall cognitive function in the elderly. It also protects the brain from damage due to poor circulation and helps to repair injured nerve cells.

Research shows that after three months of using recommended doses of Acetyl-L-Carnitine (500mg-1,500mg daily), there's a marked improvement in general cognitive function.

Phosphatidyl Serine (PS), a naturally occurring nutrient found in cell membranes, is highly concentrated in the brain. Several studies have shown that PS helps to restore brain function and improve learning and concentration.

Our brain health depends on PS for a number of important metabolic effects, as this it makes it possible for nutrients to move freely in and out of the brain cells.

Note:  To get the benefit of this supplement, take it with fish oil or with a serving of fatty fish such as salmon or sardines.

Ginkgo Biloba - Several research studies on this famous herb have revealed that it has a positive effect on thinking. Not only has ginkgo extract been shown to reduce the progress of dementia or the severity of its symptoms, but it also modestly improves both memory and the speed of cognitive functioning.

The extract of the leaves from the ginkgo plant contain compounds called glycosides and terpenoids which are believed to have memory-enhancing properties. Most importantly, ginkgo improves circulation to the tissues, notably the brain, and its powerful antioxidant action protects against memory-robbing cell damage from free radicals.

Exercise is crucial for both mind and body health.  It reduces levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, which when elevated, can shrink the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

Studies show that exercise may help prevent Alzheimer's or dementia, or at the very least, significantly delay its onset. Exercise also releases chemicals that increase the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which has been called "Miracle Gro for the Brain".

Recent research at the University of Illinois shows that the brains of healthy but sedentary individuals ages 60 to 80 years old actually increased in size after exercising aerobically for 45 to 60 minutes, 3 days a week at a moderate clip -- both the white matter and the grey matter increased in volume!

People need to be needed

Reading an article sent to me today, I was struck again by the simple idea that people need to be needed. The article talks about missions and relating to each other across economic divides but this applies across social, religious and really any other boundaries that we create.

excerpt from the article

Poor people are people. Those who live and die in want of basic needs are just as smart, beautiful, creative, motivated, holy, and wise as you and I. They are also just as dumb, ugly, dull, lazy, sinful, and foolish as you and I.

This serves as a lead in to the story that talks about transforming the way short term missions works in one specific area. The gist of it is that the local population drives the activity and serves in a leadership role, rather than being simply recipients of charity. The fundamental shift comes when we recognize that you do not have to come from a wealthy country, have a Harvard MBA, be the right skin color or come with any other credentials to be an effective leader, teacher or mentor. It is arrogant at best to try and swoop in, determining the needs and providing a solution without the guidance of those being helped.

To be in a recipient only role dis-empowers the recipients and robs those providing the aid of the opportunity to really know those they are working with.

While living in Africa as a child, I saw both sides of this approach. I saw missionaries who were so full of their goodness that they would not deign to eat off of a plate that a Chadian had used. I saw the opposite side of that in my home, with my fathers best friend being a Chadian whom I called my uncle. The people we worked with were my family, the relationships we had were relationships of equals in my experience. What a contrast and what a gift from my parents to me - I never have been able to fully reconcile the two sides of the coin but I am now beginning to understand it more, though I am saddened by the lost opportunity on both sides all those years ago and continuing all over the world even today.

"Picking and Choosing from the Law"

So - While stumbling around the net today, I came across something that made me laugh out loud. I have to issue a warning here, if you are easily offended by questions of religion STOP READING now. Ok, consider yourself warned.

The story goes like this...

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:


Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Jim

I looked this up on Snopes (urband legend debunking central) and it had this to say: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp

I laughed all the way through the letter, despite this being a serious topic. The truth of the whole thing was too much. I have always struggled with the whole picking and choosing from the Bible and the Old Testament in particular so when I read this piece, it really made me laugh while at the same time, feeling sad for all the people who think in terms of black and white, cherry picking their way through the Bible and life, believing what fits their world view and ignoring all else.

V for Vendetta

I recently watched a disturbingly powerful movie. The title was V for Vendetta. The movie was set in England in a future that is too close to home. The basic premise of the movie is that the (Plot spoiler coming) government has instituted martial law following an outbreak of terrifying viruses that are threatening the existence of the nation. Unfortunately, and known to very few, the outbreak was created by those aspiring to power and used as a tool to catapult them into control. The only solution to the outbreaks was total government control, centralizing the power in a very "Big Brother" fashion.

The main character, originally bent on revenge for wrongs to him and country, realizes that overthrow of the government can only come from the people and only succeed with peaceful protest and with a little help from symbolic gestures, given power by the people, through an idea. The idea being that the muzzle of a gun works only so far, peace and words built on ideas and ideals are ultimately the most potent weapon available.

While this is a dark movie in many a sense, it is also one of great hope and also some truth. Among the notable quotes from the movie, to me, is this: "You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it."

How true is this thought in our daily lives? Are we living with a manufactured mask of Christianity that makes us forget what we are underneath? Not only in the spiritual sense, but in the greater world view as well? Also, how many of us walk around with a Mask of composure, or professionalism, hiding the chaos or pain that we are dealing with underneath. We pretend everything is ok until it all seem very normal. Ignoring the underlying reality that shapes us every day, we compromise our integrity to be like our peers and be liked by our peers.

Another quote from the movie is particularly convicting and along the same line of thinking: "I'd only told them the truth. Was that so selfish? Our integrity sells for so little, but it's all that we really have. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch, we are free".

Do we value that integrity that we have? Do we treasure it and act in a manner that befits the value? Or, rather, do we loose that freedom, sold for the price of "acceptance"?